Therefore, the only constant in this world is impermanence itself. If the ancestors of old had clung to the rules of seal script as stubbornly as we do now, how could the splendor of the High Tang have ever come about?
Yet even when breaking with tradition and innovating, one must not forget one’s roots entirely. Tradition and innovation have never truly been opposites; they are part of a cycle.
If one does not understand impermanence, holding fast becomes stagnation. If one does not understand the fundamentals, breaking free becomes ruin.
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The inscription below was quite brilliant as well:
—To judge the past by the standards of the present is like trying to move a boat by marking its position on the side; to govern the present by the standards of the past is like trying to keep a pillar straight with glue. To understand impermanence yet preserve constancy is to possess integrity; to face change without losing one’s composure is to encompass heaven and earth.
Qiuyun had come up with such an argument because she was both an ancient and a modern person. Her thinking spanned the past and present, and Pei Cizhou’s insight that “unchanging is itself a form of change” had further inspired her. As a result, her argument was more dialectical, giving her a perspective unique among everyone present.
She knew exactly what she had written, so she turned to look at Pei Cizhou’s work.
What left everyone speechless was that Pei Cizhou had actually written in traditional characters and in the classical style.
“Wait, don’t tell me everyone used a format like yours?” Qiuyun asked.
Pei Cizhou reassured her, “Writing simplified characters with a calligraphy brush is also a form of innovation.”
Qiuyun gave a light cough.
She had been here for so long, yet she still wasn’t very good at pretending to be a modern person. Sometimes she was so deliberately cautious about giving herself away that she ended up standing out even more.
“Miss Qiu, Mr. Pei.” Secretary Liang came over. “Mr. Wenchuan would like to see you.”
The two exchanged a brief glance. Qiuyun replied politely, “All right. Please lead the way, Secretary Liang.”
They went upstairs to the second floor.
Besides Mr. Wenchuan, several older gentlemen who looked familiar from the evening news were there as well.
The two of them greeted everyone in turn.
Yu Wenchuan said with a genial smile, “Xiaoqiu, you look quite young. Are you still in school? Which university do you attend?”
Qiuyun answered openly, without showing the slightest inferiority over her education. “I dropped out of high school. I’m working now.”
Hmm?
Yu Wenchuan was not the sort of person who would use his authority to investigate an ordinary person. Besides, there was no need to look into the background of some junior he had merely happened to meet.
However, both times he had encountered her, she had been with the Pei family’s boy. She was exceptionally knowledgeable and perfectly composed in matters of etiquette, so he had instinctively assumed that she, too, was the daughter of a high-ranking official.
The older generation could not bear to see a clever child held back. He asked with concern, “Why didn’t you continue your studies? Were there difficulties at home?”
This was also the first time Pei Cizhou had realized that he did not know the answer to that question. In his heart, he cursed those useless parents and that parasitic younger brother all over again, then hurriedly came to her defense. “There are so many people here. Please don’t ask her about her private affairs.”
“All right, all right. I won’t ask.” After learning that she came from an ordinary family, Yu Wenchuan’s tone became even gentler. “But if you get the chance, you should still finish high school and try for a good university. No matter how capable you are, our country still places great importance on academic credentials. They’re a threshold that’s difficult to get past.”
Qiuyun lowered her eyes. “Thank you. I’ll give it serious consideration.”
After chatting for a little longer, he gave each of them a white jade folding fan as a prize, then sent them downstairs to prepare for dinner.
A trace of regret appeared in Yu Wenchuan’s eyes.
Even if her family had not pursued a career in politics, a child this bright could still have been cultivated and promoted.
Unfortunately, she could not even get past the first threshold of academic qualifications.
What a pity. What a pity.
Qiuyun was rather quiet throughout dinner.
In truth, she had understood the implication behind Mr. Wenchuan’s words, and she also understood what it meant for her.
It was simply a path she had never encountered before.
She was confident she could make something of herself in the Jiang family, but she could not guarantee that, after learning an entirely new system, she would be able to go far along that path.
After dinner, they drove home.
Qiuyun remained silent, staring at the neon lights outside the car window, unable to make up her mind.
“If Miss Qiu is planning to take the college entrance examination, I can help you with your tutoring.”
Pei Cizhou spoke up out of nowhere while waiting at a red light.
Qiuyun rubbed her temples. “You think I should do it too?”
The light changed from red to green.
Pei Cizhou started the car. “It’s not about what I think. You’re hesitating. The Miss Qiu I know is decisive. When we decided to develop the game together, you made such a major decision in three seconds. If you’re hesitating now, it means you’re already leaning one way, but there’s something holding you back that you haven’t been able to resolve.”
He was right.
Not to mention what came afterward—even the college entrance examination alone was enough to stop her.
The original owner had been a poor student, and Qiuyun herself would fare no better when confronted with an entirely unfamiliar body of knowledge.
“I’ll think about it a little longer,” Qiuyun said with a sigh.
“All right.” Pei Cizhou drove into the residential compound. “It’s early April now, so you definitely won’t make it in time for this year’s examination. Give me an answer before the end of the year. If I remember correctly, the qualification examination is around then.”
“Thank you.”
After returning home, Qiuyun took a shower, changed her clothes, and went out onto the balcony. Leaning against the railing, she tilted her head up toward the star-filled sky.
Everything was changing. Were the moon and stars changing too?
Was the moon she saw now the same moon that had shone over Great Qi?
Qiuyun could not help wondering what Madam would do if she found herself in such a situation.
Memories of the past replayed again and again in her mind. She recalled a day of heavy rain, when Madam had gazed out the window at the sound of suona music that even the downpour could not drown out and murmured, “I resent only that my robes conceal my poetry; I can only look up and envy those whose names appear on the examination list.”
As she thought of this, the hesitation in her eyes gradually gave way to determination beneath the starry sky.
The next day.
Qiuyun returned to the estate early and happened to run into the young lady coming downstairs for breakfast.
“Sister Xiaoqiu, come have breakfast with me,” Jiang Chuling called out with a yawn.
“All right.” Qiuyun sat down beside her and served the young lady some steamed egg custard.
The eggs came from free-range farm chickens that fed on insects. They were topped with a sauce made by simmering sea cucumber and wild mushrooms, and accompanied by quinoa toast, low-temperature slow-cooked salmon, and a small cup of mixed fresh berries.
That provided a full balance of protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and vitamins.
“Why does Monday have to exist? It’s awful,” Jiang Chuling complained.
Qiuyun poured the young lady a cup of walnut-and-black-sesame paste. “What were you doing last night, Young Miss? You look so sleepy.”
“Ahem. I just read for a little longer than usual.”
Jiang Chuling avoided the subject. “By the way, Sister Xiaoqiu, how is the game your company is making? You don’t seem to have been very busy lately.”
Qiuyun handed her the spoon. “I’m in charge of the art direction for the environments and the costume design. That work is mostly done during the early stages, so it’s busier at first. Once everything gets on track and we start working on the plot, I won’t have as much to do.”
“When will it be released? Brother Pei already promised me game pod number 002.”
“We’re estimating late August.”
“Yay! That’s right during summer vacation!” Jiang Chuling said happily. “I’ve already told all my classmates about it. It’s such an interesting 3D VR game—they’ll definitely be among the first players to support it!”
The children in the young lady’s class were all from wealthy families.
Qiuyun smiled. “With you supporting us, we won’t have to worry about our first round of preorders.”
Jiang Chuling waved her hand dismissively. “It is my brother’s company, after all. I’m just showing a little support.”
Just then, Assistant Qian called.
“Girl, I found the person! The boss says you have to get to the company before nine!”
